[Farm93]

Recruiting services are not exactly inaccurate.  5 star athletes as a group do better than 4 stars, 4 stars do more than 3 stars, etc.

These services probably systematically undervalue Stanford for several reasons.
1)  Stanford will not have NCAA academic casualties
2)  Stanford will have fewer transfers
3)  These services do not really factor in an athletes intelligence, willingness or ability to study

The third one is big.  Smart and hard working kids might not add much individually, but if that ability is common to the entire team then collectively they can do more with schemes, plays, reads, and game day adjustments.

I wonder if in 2014 or 2015 we will realize that once again the services underestimated the collective power of a Stanford recruiting class.

[Farm93]

Recruiting services are not exactly inaccurate.  5 star athletes as a group do better than 4 stars, 4 stars do more than 3 stars, etc.

These services probably systematically undervalue Stanford for several reasons.
1)  Stanford will not have NCAA academic casualties
2)  Stanford will have fewer transfers
3)  These services do not really factor in an athletes intelligence, willingness or ability to study

The third one is big.  Smart and hard working kids might not add much individually, but if that ability is common to the entire team then collectively they can do more with schemes, plays, reads, and game day adjustments.

I wonder if in 2014 or 2015 we will realize that once again the services underestimated the collective power of a Stanford recruiting class.